1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to organizing and systematizing a plurality of units of intelligence which include one or more books, manuals, treatises or the like, relating to a given subject matter, and, companion information receiving and storage means, such as note books, file folders, portfolios or similar such information storage means designed for collecting and retaining a plurality of items of related subject matter. More particularly, the invention relates to categorizing and correlating or coordinating notes, reports, work sheets, tests or other forms of intelligence, that relate to, and are useful in connection with, a given subject matter and that generally comprise complimentary, supplementary or ancillary forms of information, with one or more printed volumes of text that encompass the main, principal or broad subject matter of the information or intelligence being organized or systematized.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art, as relates to the present invention, appears to be devoid of any systems specifically dedicated to correlating, identifying or directly associating a text, text book or the like with related handwritten or printed notes or memoranda, such as a researcher or student would normally accumulate in conjunction with a specific subject or course of study or investigation. Anyone, inadvertently finding himself in possession of the wrong book or notes because the unwanted material in hand looked like other material left elsewhere, can attest to the need for a system to better identify and correlate related text and note materials.
A search in the marketplace for such a system has been without avail. One can find notebooks, folders, binders and like note keepers in a variety of similar or companion colors, such that related notekeeping by subject, project or other such criteria can generally be facilitated by color association. However, there still remains the problem of relating such work materials to a text or several texts that comprise the basic research, teaching or learning materials to which the work materials relate.
A search of prior U.S. patents revealed no coordinating system; just a variety of labels, tabs, signals, specialized file folders and the like that frequently employ special color indicia or other annunciator means as an aid to filing or information retrieval. These patents include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,674,222; 2,878,814; 3,805,426; 3,962,807; 4,201,403; 1,305,939; 3,937,493; 4,143,477; 4,175,777; 4,204,639; 1,336,584; 1,560,058; 1,743,191; 2,052,623; 3,742,634; and U.S. Design Patent Nos. 182,366; 202,940; 231,714; 186,559; 215,535; 236,857; 267,152; 267,653. Thus, it will be appreciated that there remains a need for a book and note keeper system in which the identification and correlation of the several elements of related subject matter are easily and readily perceived.